THE POWER OF A SMILE

On October 21, 2011, In @ Work, By Bryan Dodge

Everyone is searching for a great life. Maybe it’s the home run at work which will elevate you to the next level in your company. Maybe it’s the supportive spouse or the child that excels at school and sports. Yet the golden ring of greatness is always just a bit out of our reach. We never can grab the ring and achieve the great life. Instead we continue on the merry-go-round of life—in search of the good life.
As you have probably discovered, a good life is one of those interesting paradoxes. It is both easy and difficult to attain. It’s easy because we were made to live a good life. But it can be difficult because we seem to go out of our way to make ourselves unhappy. We seem to focus on the great moments in life and not appreciate the good life that we have each day. A good life requires both a decision to be happy and a commitment to follow through with those actions, thoughts, and behaviors that will give us the good life we deserve and should have.
The focus point that I want to share with you brings me to a statement that I have heard before: “People who smile a lot don’t know why.” The most pleasant people are those who smile a lot. A smile doesn’t cost you anything and it is one of the universal signs worldwide that is never misunderstood. A smile says, “I like you; I’m glad to see you; I’m glad to be with you.” It is a sign of recognition to both loved ones and strangers who cross your path. You will never run out of smiles no matter how many you give away. As people smile they set free the light within them. They know that love helps to ease pain, grief, discouragement, failure as well as the other negative experiences and emotions. Their smile communicates a good life.
Those who are afraid, in need of control, have given up and lost hope, rarely ever smile. They have lost touch with the light within themselves. I suggest the next time you see somebody in the office or pass a family member in the hallway, just send him or her, a big smile and watch the good life grow. A smile is your choice. Just please understand why it is so important now, more than ever, for you to consistently focus on the “good life!” Always remember, “Life is too short not to be happy and life is too long not to understand the power of a smile for you and those that depend on you.”

The Good Life Rules when you smile!
Bryan Dodge
Dodge Development, Inc.

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How to Deliver an Effective Presentation

On July 29, 2011, In @ Work, By Bryan Dodge

How to Deliver an Effective Presentation
You have the opportunity to give a presentation and you are not sure how to start preparing for this event. First, get over the panic and just get started. Once you get the details arranged, the agenda established, and the participants assembled and waiting, what happens next? That’s right; you’re on! President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had some great advice for speakers and presenters: “Be sincere, be brief, and be seated!” I think you also need to prepare from the facts, and communicate from the heart. Everyone dreads bombing at the podium. The fear is understandable; for many leaders, their career advancement can be determined by their ability to speak and inspire an audience. The people you lead are watching, and it can be challenge, especially when you consider that you often have to address the same group week after week. The following are some excellent tips on speaking before an audience:
1.) Know what you are going to say and practice it until you are comfortable
2.) Research your material, and be prepared to answer.
3.) Include anecdotes and personal examples.
4.) Pause and take a breath before beginning.
5.) Don’t read your message; deliver it.
6.) It is almost impossible to talk too loudly, so make sure you use your voice to deliver the full impact of the message.
7.) Maintain eye contact; do not just look at your notes too often.
8.) Sit down when you are finished.
9.) Conviction and passion are powerful allies. If you believe the sincerity will come through.
10.) Be you! Don’t try and force an unnatural style that does not reflect your personality.
11.) Be brief and to the point. Nothing loses the attention of your audience like a speech that runs on and on unnecessarily.
12.) Use language the listeners will understand.
13.) Stay relaxed throughout the meeting.
14.) Lean into the audience when making key points. Your body language speaks louder than words.
15.) Be sure to talk with your team and not at them.
16.) Always expect the unexpected
17.) If you are nervous that’s good. That means you care.
18.) Prepare from the facts, and then communicate from your heart.
19.) Don’t be afraid to show your emotions.
20.) Finally, plan a powerful ending that includes an inspirational challenge.
Follow these tips and I am confident you will give an excellent presentation. If you are still nervous about getting up in front of a group, then I recommend that you join a group where you can practice. The Toastmasters International Organization would be an excellent resource. Remember, your ability to do what you fear most is the beginning of you being the captain of your own destiny.

Make it a great day!
Proud to be an American,
Bryan J. Dodge

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The Gift

On June 21, 2011, In @ Work, By Bryan Dodge

As the story goes that some time ago a mother punished her 5 year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and said, “This is for you, Momma.”
The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty. She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner. “Don’t you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there’s supposed to be something inside the package?”
The little daughter had tears in her eyes and said, “Oh, Momma, it’s not empty! I blew kisses into it until was full.”
The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged for forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.
An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the mother kept the gold box by her bed for all the years of her life. Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems, she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, has been given a golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and GOD. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
The Golden Box story was given to me by a friend. I wanted to share it with all of you this month. I wish that all of you would be reminded that you too have a golden box that can help you share the love for others.

Bryan J. Dodge
Dodge Development, Inc

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What does your face say about you?

On May 18, 2011, In @ Work, By Bryan Dodge

Living a better life both at work and at home starts with your ability to smile more often than not. Life is to short not to be happy, and way too long not to learn how to tell your face that. Whenever you get a grin on your face, your brain is releasing serotonin, the happy hormone. Smiling is the natural way to force your-self to be happy. Many people even smile for five minutes straight in the morning to get themselves in a great mood for the day. It is a very powerful tool that is utilized less and less as we grow older and need happiness more than ever. Just remember that while happiness leads to smiles, smiles also lead to a better you.

To keep that smile you must also learn to be unaffected by the words of others. Most people get very upset when they are called negative names by others; I use a simple trick to overcoming this. Here it is: If I went up to you and called you a dog, would you be upset? Of course not, obviously you are not a dog you are a human being. The same concept applies to when someone calls you something that you know you are not. They are foolish for saying such things, so why would you react with such anger? The only exception is when someone calls you something that is true! In this case, you should thank them for alerting you to a weakness, one that you can now work on changing. Good advice to building a better you.

Bryan Dodge – President
Dodge Development
www.dodgedevelopment.com

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BE IN THE MOMENT TO BUILD A BETTER YOU

On March 16, 2011, In @ Work, By Bryan Dodge

“Obstacles seem to get in your way when you take your eyes off your goals.”
— Ron Reynolds
Author of The Gift a testament to the power of personal responsibility, self-discipline, and commitment in the pursuit of one’s purpose in life

I had Ron Reynolds on my radio show on Saturday, March 5th, and he emphasized that there are no ordinary moments in life. The bottom line is that you need to stop letting obstacles distract you from understanding the power of the moment. There are 1,440 minutes in each day and none of them are ordinary in spite of how we often treat each one. It is when you learn to embrace the moment, and put it to use in an intelligent fashion, that each moment can be the beginning point of a new and better conclusion. When we seize the moment, it changes our lives for the better, provided that this opportunity is filled with intense emotion and a resolute commitment towards a specific purpose.

As you reflect on today and yesterday (which also had 1,440 potential defining moments), what did you do with this extraordinary time in your life? Did any single moment in your life represent a new beginning or were they all a mere continuation of the same past attitudes and habits? How much time did you spend holding a personal pity party? How much of your life did you waste harboring destructive emotions about some person or circumstance? Did you focus on worrying, self-doubt, or guilt because of some past deed?

Life happens and the moments in our lives will pass regardless of what we choose to do with them. If you remain idle or in a “parked” position, the moments in your life will simply not matter. You’re the one who has to change and give life to the moment, or the moment will do nothing to change your life.

Today is now a new day and it is filled with another 1,440 “chances.” If you really want a better life, then take a whole new look at it and the opportunities that are before you. Why not make the choice to take the chance? Why not breathe life and substance into as many opportunities in this day as you can?

If you’ll take chances, make some changes, overcome challenges, and commit to making better choices, you’ll start the miracle process called “Building a Better You.” The key is that you just have to do it; nobody can do this for you. You have a choice – You can either use the vehicle that can help you make the most of the many moments that lie ahead of you. Or, you can let the passing moments be a little more than another “tick” of the clock that keeps score of your passing life.

The point I want you to remember is that there’s an innate tendency in all of us to “seize the moment” tomorrow, or after I get through what I’m doing, or at some other undefined point in the future. Let me say that with each passing year of your life {, by the way this is 525,600 minutes, (or moments) or 31,536,000 seconds} the level of your desire, expectations, and most importantly, your energy, will diminish. At some point in your life, change and commitment won’t seem to matter anymore. You’ll settle for what little your unseeded moments have given you.
When you waste time, you waste life. Don’t let time slip through your fingers. Do something that matters most in life before you find out the clock is ticking faster than you can catch up. If this happens, you’ve let too many important moments slither away. Always remember that there are enough moments to remind your-self that life is to short not to be happy, and too long not to do well. Thus, focus your life on being in the moment and always be where you are, when you are.

The Good Life Rules!

Bryan J. Dodge

  

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